


places, pieces, people

by atemzug



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Complicated Relationships, Emotional Infidelity, Exes, M/M, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23626903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atemzug/pseuds/atemzug
Summary: This is a story about people who've fallen.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin/Seo Changbin, Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin, Kim Seungmin/Seo Changbin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	places, pieces, people

"You wanna know why I think Seungmin brings bad luck?" Minho, the manager at Changbin's local coffee shop, asks him as soon as he takes his usual seat near the counter. 

"What?" Changbin asks, the same time Seungmin appears out of nowhere to glare at the two of them.

"Excuse me?" he butts in.

Minho pays him no mind, which makes Changbin chuckle because they’ve always been like this. The easy (although, admittedly, sometimes not-so-easy) relationship between the employees he now considers as his friends was part of why he quickly became a regular at the shop.

"Because," Minho starts to explain, pointing at Seungmin, whose face is set in a frown while taking off his apron. "The moment he started working here was the moment you started coming in. Then you came in literally every day."

“Really?” Changbin turns to Seungmin and asks. He started coming to this cafe shortly before the start of the previous term, since it’s near the dormitories. He had no idea Seungmin only started working then too. "Then that means Seungmin brings good luck, doesn't it?"

Truth be told, Changbin didn’t really pay Seungmin much attention at first. Between him and the other barista, Jisung, who’s also been there for as long as Changbin can remember, the latter was definitely more noticeable; Jisung is loud and more vulgar, although sometimes he can be tactless. That, paired with Minho’s sarcasm, snark, and attention, would just really make someone who regularly goes there notice them instead. 

Seungmin, on the other hand, is a little more reserved, more subdued, not the type that turns heads like Minho nor the type that demands attention like Jisung. Seungmin's the type you'd have to slowly get to know, take your time figuring out what makes him tick and where to draw the line, intriguing in a way, and exciting. Once you've gotten past the clean and quiet front, there's an unexpected amount of sarcasm, snark, and peevishness, which Seungmin usually shows when he's with people he's comfortable with.

Changbin likes to think he and Seungmin get along well, although he'd really like to get to know him more-- has _always_ wanted to get to know him. Over coffee. Or drinks. Maybe.

Or not.

Seungmin stopped talking to him some time during the previous term, which was understandable, given the circumstances. And then Seungmin was moved to the morning shift at the start of the current term, probably for the same reason Changbin's also been coming in a little later than before. They barely see each other now, and they talk even less, so coffee or drinks are pretty much out of the question. 

“Whatever,” Seungmin mutters under his breath. “You’re both dumb. I’m off.”

“Hey,” Minho calls after him while Changbin cackles. “You realize I can fire you, right?”

“Who else are you gonna put on the morning shift?”

“Touché.”

"Bye, Seungmin," Changbin calls after him, before turning back to Minho. “Is Jisung not coming in today, hyung?” he asks. “I’ll get an iced americano, by the way. Oh, and add a donut.”

“He is,” Minho answers with a shrug. “I mean, he’s supposed to. Anyway, your boyfriend seems busy, huh?" 

Changbin looks up in surprise. They haven't talked about his boyfriend for weeks-- well, _ex-boyfriend_ now _,_ but that's something he's yet to tell his cafe friends. "What makes you think that?" he replies instead. He isn't entirely sure where he's going with this, but he's sure he doesn't want to break the news right this moment. Actually, he was thinking his friends wouldn't notice and things would just go back to how they were before Hyunjin came in. But even Changbin knows that's impossible.

“Haven’t seen him since yesterday," Minho replies.

“Yesterday? Hyunjin was here yesterday?”

Minho nods.

“Well." Changbin sighs. “I haven’t seen him since last term so I wouldn’t know.”

“You mean you’ve broken up?”

“Yeah.”

“Too bad, huh?”

“It’s fine," he lies. "It’s been months.”

“Great.” Minho finally places his order on the counter. “‘Cause I’m pretty sure that’s him walking towards us.”

Changbin perks up. “What?” he asks, whipping his head back to look, almost half-expecting that Minho was just messing with him like he usually does. 

Sure enough, there walks the most beautiful person Changbin thinks he's ever laid his eyes on, and had the opportunity to get to know in such a level of intimacy: Hwang Hyunjin. Dreamy. Pretty. Kind. Smart. Perfect-- _almost,_ if not for it being too obvious that he doesn't really love himself yet. It was okay, though; Changbin had all the love to give, and Hyunjin had all the love to give.

"Hyunjinnie," he greets, "Hi." He didn't mean to say it with such fondness, but it's long been second nature.

"Hyung," Hyunjin answers, smiling politely. It hurts Changbin's heart because this is not how it's supposed to be.

"What brings you here?"

"Coffee."

"Right." Changbin nods his head. He wants to ask a lot of other, more personal things, the questions he'd typed out on his phone only to delete before he could even press _Send_. But he knows Hyunjin enough to know that he's still holding back, and there are still some things he's not ready to disclose yet. Changbin respects that.

Changbin's always been respectful of boundaries, feelings, opinions-- things Hyunjin's always been too careful of. There was no reason for it to not work. And yet, even with that, they still broke up for reasons Changbin believes are out of their control. 

  
  
  
  
  


The moment Hyunjin entered his - _their_ \- local cafe and saw his ex, he wanted to run. The guy wasn't even facing him, but Hyunjin would recognize him anywhere. But before he could turn around and leave as if nothing happened, Minho, the manager, noticed him. He only wanted to get coffee, not feel like his heart was skipping while simultaneously breaking at the same time. Now, he had no choice but to walk in, order his drink as fast as he could, try to avoid conversation, and walk away as soon as possible.

It felt like he could only breathe properly again once he was out of the cafe, walking as far away from his ex as quickly as he could.

Seo Changbin was - is - everything. He’s not perfect, not exactly, but he’s _everything_ Hyunjin could've ever wanted _._ It’s no wonder Hyunjin easily fell for him. 

In contrast, Hyunjin is flawed and imperfect, vain yet insecure, needy but has a tendency to push some people away. It's no wonder, too, that he never felt like he ever really deserved Changbin.

It’s always been a struggle, really, feeling like he was being given so much more than he deserved. Hyunjin's always been privileged ever since he was young, not just with wealth but with pretty looks too. When you live in a world like ours, being pretty entails a whole lot of privilege; growing up, that made Hyunjin feel so guilty.

Being with Changbin reinforced this guilt-- and brought it back tenfold. 

What else can he do, though, but to accept everything he’s given and just be as grateful as he can?

See, Hyunjin really loved Changbin. He loved Changbin a lot, but every time he thought about how much Changbin was willing to give, he felt a pang of guilt in his chest, like he was being stabbed. Changbin was so honest with his love, so warm and accepting and reassuring, always willing to go through such lengths to show people how much he cared.

Hyunjin couldn’t give that back. 

And that was unfair.

So he left. 

That’s not to say him leaving was fair, either, but he knew if he’d stayed he would’ve just ended up hating himself. He had a life before the sudden wave that was Seo Changbin, anyway. That life was okay, a sea so still Hyunjin’s spent his entire life learning how to carefully tread so he wouldn’t drown.

"Hey," Hyunjin calls. The guy who has his back to him _now_ turns.

Kim Seungmin probably won’t even remember this, but during Hyunjin's first ever term in university, they used to be in the same Basic English class. They talked maybe once or twice, but Hyunjin's always been quietly looking and admiring, carefully waiting, testing the waters, because he didn't want to make mistakes. 

But then Changbin happened, and suddenly Seungmin's out of the picture-- at least, Seungmin was _supposed to be_ out of the picture. The thing was, though, Seungmin's always been there. Before Changbin even came crashing into Hyunjin’s life, Seungmin was already there, although never in the same way Changbin was. Seungmin has always been someone to quietly look up to and aspire to be like, whose lead somehow made Hyunjin want to follow him.

But Seungmin was just a thought; a small, silent voice at the back of Hyunjin's mind, which he shouldn't even have entertained anymore since he was already with Changbin, but he still did.

And that's why he'll never deserve Changbin.

"Hi," Seungmin replies, and immediately offers him a shot.

Hyunjin takes it, along with a grateful _Thanks_ , but rejects the next one Seungmin pours him. He really wants to be careful this time.

Seungmin shrugs. "Suit yourself," he says. "I had a bad day."

Hyunjin recalls what happened that morning. He had a bad day, too. "Fuck it," he mutters, and calls on the bartender. The smirk on Seungmin's face makes him feel shy and confident at the same time.

Hyunjin wants to be careful, but he hasn't been used to still waters for a long time.

He takes one too many shots, and the next thing he knows he's kissing Seungmin, tasting liquor on his tongue, their sweaty bodies pressed together as he pushes Seungmin against the wall in the darkest corner of the bar. He lets himself get drunk on the sensation, until Seungmin's pulling back and pushing him away.

"I can't," Seungmin breathes out.

"What?" Hyunjin asks, taking huge gulps of air, willing his head to stop spinning.

"I'm sorry, Hyunjin--"

"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel anything," he blurts out. He doesn't know where the sudden courage came from - maybe it's the alcohol - but it surely felt good to take Seungmin by surprise. It only lasted a second, though; now he feels bad, because he was supposed to be careful, and because he can hear the desperation in his own voice when he whispers, "Seungmin."

Seungmin closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "I can't do that," he admits, looking away.

And maybe now Hyunjin feels even worse, because while he badly wished he wasn't the only one who's been feeling things, a part of him wished _even more_ that Seungmin could - would - just look him in the eye, tell him once and for all that this is all just a fantasy, that _Seungmin_ is just a fantasy - a stupid, little fantasy Hyunjin shouldn't even have come up with in his head. Maybe if that were so, he can finally stop feeling so guilty about leaving Changbin, and about dragging Seungmin into this storm.

  
  
  
  
  


**22:04** **  
** **binnie_s** : hey  
**binnie_s:** u free tomorrow night?  
**binnie_s:** wanna go 2 the uni benefit gig?

 **00:31** **  
** **binnie_s:** hey min??

 **06:09** **  
** **binnie_s:** u know  
**binnie_s:** u can just tell me if u dont wanna go  
**binnie_s:** or if ur not interested at all

Seungmin’s been staring at his phone screen since he woke up, still unsure what to reply-- or if he should reply at all. See, Seungmin wouldn’t say he and Seo Changbin were ever friends, although Changbin likes to claim so whenever he gets his daily dose of caffeine at Seungmin’s workplace. 

They'd exchanged KaTalk IDs long ago, along with a few messages here and there. Seungmin had stopped replying some time ago, though, but sometimes he still goes against his better judgement and sends a text whenever he thinks it wouldn't be too harmful - to himself and to Changbin, too. 

The messages used to come more frequently back when they were first getting to know each other. They were almost too innocent, just a few simple _Heys_ and _How's uni?_ or _Missed u at the cafe earlier._ They were supposed to be nothing, but somehow to Seungmin they weren't. He wasn't even sure how and why a simple exchange of messages can possibly mean anything to him - maybe because Changbin always sounded genuine whenever he asked Seungmin about his day, or because Changbin always made him laugh whenever he bought his coffee, or because Changbin's smile was actually pretty cute and he could be quite charming, too.

Eventually, Seungmin realized that it was useless to deny it to himself: he _liked_ Changbin. It even got to a point he let himself think there was actually something about to go on between them until one day Changbin just showed up with a tall, pretty boy Seungmin recognized from his photography class: Hwang Hyunjin.

And now the same boy is greeting him good morning, wearing that pretty smile he just recently started wearing again. Sometimes Seungmin can’t help but think he’s part of the reason why Hyunjin started smiling brightly again, especially whenever the latter walks into the coffee shop Seungmin works at every morning. 

Hyunjin was never a regular when he and Changbin were still dating. It only started the morning Hyunjin first showed up _alone_ , with puffy eyes and a hoarse voice asking for a tall cup of mintchoco frappe, and Seungmin gave him his order a few minutes later with a soft smile along with the words, “It’s on the house today because you look like shit-- no offense.” And Hyunjin laughed, his puffy eyes looking even puffier while he thanked Seungmin. 

That was the moment Seungmin first allowed himself to really look at Hyunjin and appreciate his features, redness and puffiness and all, and acknowledge that Hyunjin has always been nothing but kind to him ever since they started sitting together in photography class. That was also the moment Seungmin first suspected he and Changbin had broken up. 

The first time Seungmin found out Changbin and Hyunjin were dating, it felt so unfair, because he really thought there was something going on between him and Changbin. Then it felt even more unfair, because suddenly Hyunjin thought he could just come up to Seungmin the next day and sit beside him and be all nice and polite and friendly, as if he wasn't the reason Seungmin was hurting. 

This time, Seungmin's in the comfort of Hyunjin's unfamiliar sheets, and somehow it still feels unfair, because in his mind, Hyunjin will always be Changbin’s, in the same way Changbin will always be Hyunjin’s too.

“I should go,” he stands up and announces, picking up his shirt from the floor-- or is this Hyunjin’s shirt? It doesn’t matter, anyway, as long as he has something to wear when he takes the walk of shame.

Or not.

“ _You should_ stay for breakfast,” Hyunjin tells him. "And that's my shirt, by the way, but it's fine, you can wear it."

Seungmin looks up, and it almost annoys him how Hyunjin looks impossibly good for someone who's only had two hours of sleep and possibly has a hangover too. 

He sighs. "I have to go to work," he replies. "Have you seen my shirt?"

"No,” Hyunjin answers, “but I have to go to class, too, so you should stay for breakfast."

"I can't--"

"Please."

It's _absolutely_ _unfair_ , because Seungmin realizes he's fallen for Hyunjin now, too. 

He sends Changbin a text:

 **07:31** **  
****kimsm922:** sorry my reply took so long, i was out last night  
**kimsm922:** but i'll see u tonight

Then he faces Hyunjin. "Alright," he answers, placing his phone on Hyunjin's bedside table, right beside a photo of him and Changbin at the cafe, which Seungmin himself took with slightly shaking hands back when they'd first met. "Alright."

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!
> 
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.qa/crashingfalling)


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